Road Fatalities Still on the Rise in Missouri

Road Fatalities Increase by 8 Percent in Spite of More Vehicle Safety Features

While I’ve written articles on increased road fatalities this year, new data indicates we are continuing to have an increase in roadway fatalities.

According to the Missouri Highway State Patrol, about 822 people have lost their lives due to traffic crashes in the past 11 months which is about an 8 percent increase over this time last year.

While newer cars have more safety features such as blind spot detectors, anti-lock brakes and vehicle stabilizers; crashes and worse yet–fatal crashes continue to increase. In Troop C, predominantly the troop including St. Louis has had 225 road fatalities that were worked by the Missouri Highway Patrol.

However, there have been many other road fatalities worked by various police departments and county authorities.

Distracted Driving is Number One Cause of Crashes

Distracted driving continues to be the number one cause of motor vehicle crashes and speeding is one of the leading causes of fatal crashes according to officers. Police remind that the safety features in your car will not prevent crashes from happening, but you must pay attention and refrain from speeding.

There are many behaviors included in distracted driving including inattentiveness. Often, people think of distracted driving as texting and driving only, however, any thing that causes a driver to be distracted or not pay attention is distracted driving.

Classic quote, “I looked up and the car just appeared!” My question is, “Why were you looking down while driving?” Your eyes should always be on the roadway in front of you. Looking down at your phone, map or stereo switches can result in a motor vehicle crash. You can travel the length of a football field in the time it takes to look down at a text—a football field!!!

Holiday Season and Winter Weather on the Way

Don’t let these unseasonal warm weather temperatures fool you. Police caution that due to the pending holiday season, drivers should pay extra close attention and slow down. The end of year holiday season truly gets started Halloween weekend through New Year’s Day. So many people are traveling to and from Halloween, multiple Thanksgiving festivities and many Christmas and end of year celebrations. Often those celebrations include alcohol, so getting in the practice of being extra alert is critical.

Fatalities usually rise at the end of the year during holiday traffic and in inclement weather. Snow and sleet are just around the corner. Holidays, drunk driving and inclement weather always increase the number of road collisions and fatalities. We’ve already lost too many people this year on roadways. Be attentive, don’t drink and drive and be a defensive driver.

If you are injured in a motor vehicle crash, you will need legal assistance. Call our attorneys seven days a week for a free, confidential consultation.

Call at (314) 276-1681.